<p>Literally what the title says...</p>
<p>How big does an essay play in the college application? Is it one of those minor factors that differentiate two close students, or is it a big part of the application?</p>
<p>Really depends on the school. At highly selective schools essays are very important once you have the stats. It’s what differentiates uplifted candidates. At schools that accept many and are not as selective, you can often talk your way in with a great essay.</p>
<p>When I started the college application process, I was wondering the same thing. I had no hooks (Asian male, over-represented state, middle class, no legacy, non-athlete), and worst of all, I had a 3.15 UW GPA and top 40% class rank. My ECs were good but not amazing. I still decided to apply to some very selective schools, and try to stand out as much as possible with my essays. </p>
<p>In the end, I got accepted into Vanderbilt, UNC - Chapel Hill (OOS), Carnegie Mellon, and Wake Forest. I’ll be straight up; essays are EXTREMELY important in the admissions process. Many people from my school with higher stats than me were rejected from the schools I got accepted to (hell, I was the only one accepted into UNC this year out of 20 kids and I was probably the weakest applicant stats-wise). I’m pretty sure my essays were what made the difference. </p>
<p>Don’t underestimate the power of essays :)</p>
<p>Essay plays a huge role in college application.
Among applicants of most selective schools, there’s not much difference in terms of academic achievements; therefore, essays and extra-curricular activities are crucial.
Also, the admissions officers use the essays to see if the applicant is a match for the school.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone who replied!!! This raised my self esteem greatly, actually.</p>
<p>What kinds of essays do colleges like to see?</p>